Life Lessons
by Wicked Beautiful
Summary: They were best friends. Never apart, always together. And together, they help each other through times of happiness, love, and loss. NaruHina, hints of other couples. Naruto x Hinata


**My new fic. ****I haven't done a NaruHina in a while (On my other account, anyway) And I decided to do this. ****Hope you like it!**

**I do not own Naruto.**

**OC'SINTRODUCED: Hinagaku Hyuga; Tsuki Uchiha**

**Summary:_  
They were the best of friends. Always helping each other no matter what, through thick and thin. Together, they cope with love, loss, and everything in between. NaruHina, hints of other couples._**

**Part 1: Meeting Her**

Meet Naruto Uzumaki.

He was hard-headed, brash, and strong. But, at the same time, he was weak, intelligent, and a really good person. He had golden blond hair and clear blue eyes. Just like his father. He was orphaned when he was six. After his parents died, he lived with Jaraiya, his godfather.

One day, when he was eight, Naruto spotted a moving truck. "Oi! Jaraiya-jiisan!" Jaraiya came over to him, rubbing his head. "Yes Naruto?" He groaned. Jaraiya loved the kid, no matter what, but sometimes Naruto was just a _little_too loud. "What's wrong, kid?"

Naruto pointed outside. "Someone's movin' in." Jaraiya sighed in relief. Thank god, the last residents who lived there were a young couple who were _beyond_annoying. Then, he noticed something. A little girl, around Naruto's age.

"Hey, Naruto," He said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Why don't you go introduce yourself to that girl?"

Naruto blinked, and turned. He blushed at the sight of the little girl. She had shoulder-length, blue hair, and lavender (almost white) eyes. "Okay..." He mumbled, running outside. Jaraiya smirked.

-_-_-_-_-_-

"Hinata! Could you get Hanabi'steddy bear? I think the brat dropped it!" Hinagaku Hyuga asked her sister. Everyone in the family loved Hanabi more than Hinata. Everyone, except for Hinagaku. She even referred to Hanabi as the 'Spoiled brat'.

"Hinagaku!" Hinata's mother scolded, "Don't talk about your sister like that!"

Hinagaku scoffed. "Does it matter? Hanabi's three. She can barely understand the term 'stupid'." She smiled at her little sister (Hinata) Could you, sweetie?" Hinata nodded her head. "O-of c-course, n-neechan." She said, skipping back to the moving van.

Hinagaku sighed. Hinata really needed to get some confidence.

A few minutes later, Hinata bolted out, clutching a small teddy bear.

Naruto put a hand on her shoulder, stopping her. Hinata turned, and gave a small smile. "Hello," She said so quietly, Naruto could barely hear. "Hi, my name's Naruto, your new neighbor!" Hinata nodded in understanding. "I s-see. My n-name's Hinata H-Hyuga. I-I have to go now, b-but maybe we can p-play later!" She smiled a bit wider. Naruto nodded. "That sounds great!"

They shook hands. The start of a new friendship.

**Part 2: High School**

Hinata was almost eighteen when she learned the bittersweet truth.

Naruto Uzumaki, her best friend, was engaged to be married to a woman who wasn't her. And she's fallen in love with him. But he's too dense to notice. He's going to be married to Sakura Haruno, one of Hinata's closest friends.

Ah, Jelousy. How naive.

Hinata wasn't much better, though. It took her ten years to open her eyes and admit she was in love with him. How long will it take for him to see it?

_**Probably forever.** _A little voice in Hinata's head muttered darkly. **_He's way too dense. Just give up on him sweetie. Why don't you try dating that Shikamaru guy? He's cute! _**Hinata shook her head. This inner voice was starting to sound like Ino.

_No._She thought back. Naruto was too important to be forgotten about that easy. And no matter what happened, he would always be her best friend. **_Is he really so important? _**The voice asked again. Hinata smiled to herself.

"Yes."

**Part 3: Konoha**

After years of school, Hinata was finally able to get her medical degree and move from the big and bustling city of Tokyo to a small town called Konoha. She worked as a surgeon. And there, she met two people whom she thought she would never see again. Naruto and Sakura.

That was two and a half years ago.

And now, it was Hinata's turn. It was her turn to shine. She was getting married. To a man named Kiba Inuzuka.

And Hinata was _freaking out._

"Where the hell is she?!" Now, normally, Hinata was a very quiet, gentle woman. But not today. Not when her maid of honor was no where to be found. Not when she had only thirty minutes left until she was officially "Mrs. Kiba Inuzuka". Oh, no. Not today.

"Blame Naruto." One of her other bridesmaids, Tenten, sighed. "Sakura called and said something about him taking the car." Hinata was close to tears. "_Why_?!" She whined. Tenten shrugged. "I think he said he had to go back to his work or something. That was at seven this morning." Tenten said finally. Hinata groaned. Did her blond-haired _idiot_ of a best friend _want_ to be the one responsible for her death?!

"You know what?!" Hinata finally snapped. Everyone in the room jumped at the brunette's sudden outburst. She pointed at Chouji Akamichi, one of her old friends from Tokyo. "Chouji! You're my maid of honor now! Let's go!" The Akamichi man stared at the woman, before trying to make a break for it.

But Hinata was too fast.

"No!" The light brown-haired man yelled in agony, as he was dragged out of the room.

Everyone else sweat dropped.

**Part 4: Bliss, even for a moment**

In the end, Hinata forgave Naruto.

She had to. It was either forgive the idiot, or withstand an eternity of "I'm sorry" letters and apology notes. She forgave him, and now everyone was happy.

Well... Maybe not everyone. Hinata was so-so. Outside, in public, she was great. Great friends, awsome job. At home, though, she was all alone. Kiba beat her practically everyday. He usually came home drunk beyond belief, almost _sweating_ tequila.

It was awful.

Hinata lived a nightmare life.

...That was, until, Hinagaku, Hinata's favorite big sister came to save the day. Her first night at the Inuzuka house, she noticed some tension at dinner. Even the dog, Akamaru, looked nervose. Almost like he was anticipating something horrible.

The second night, Kiba was home late. And I mean DEAD late. Like almost five in the morning late. Hinagaku had awoken to the pained cries of her sister, and walked in on Kiba beating her.

By the third night, both she and Hinata were out of that madhouse, and into a hotel.

Thank God.

By the weekend, Hinagaku had called the police. They didn't have enough _proof _for Kiba to be convicted guilty, much to Hinagaku's utter rage, but Hinata settled for a restraining order and a file for divorce. Kiba had gladly accepted. After the divorce, Kiba moved to Kyoto, never to be heard of again.

And less than a year later, Hinata married again. This time, to a doctor in the hospital she worked at. His name was Sasuke Uchiha. She and Uchiha were friends. _Just _friends. She thought marrying this way would be easier than just getting her heart broken. Again.

For four years, they were happy. That was, until, Sasuke's sister, Tsuki, came to her with both good and bad news. Tsuki was one of the top neurosurgeons in the country, not to mention the _only _woman Hinata would go to for checkups.

The good news was... Hinata was having twins!

The bad news... Sasuke wanted a divorce.

Hinata understood, though. They were just friends. Sasuke had found someone to love, and it obviously wasn't her. It was okay. Sasuke also decided he wanted the kids by her. By Hinata. By the only woman who truly understood him. Hinata wouldn't have her kids grow up with out a father, though. Sasuke was to see them at least twice a month.

They were born on July 18. One girl. Hoshiko. One boy. Nazeku.

And for a long time, she was happy.

**Part 5: Pain and Comfort**

Thunder boomed. Lightning flashed.

Hinata smiled bitterly. She was almost fifty, now. She thought of her late husband. Really, he was her only love. He was her third husband, whom she married less than a year ago. His name was Kazoka or something... She could barely remember. She should have, though. She said she loved him, but she couldn't even remember the man's name.

How pitiful.

She walked slowly, almost as if she was dreading going back home. To come back to an empty house. Her kids had already left the house, ready to start the life Hinata never had. She looked at the man next to her. He had dull, blue eyes, and duller blond hair that was streaked with gray. He smiled weakly.

"You want to go to Ichiraku's?" He asked, smiling wistfully, most likely remembering the old days, before Sakura, before Sasuke, before Kiba. When it was just the two of them. Ichiraku's was an old ramen stand from their younger days, which, suprisingly, hadn't been torn down yet. Remodled a couple times, but no one dared to try to tear it down.

Hinata nodded back. "Sure." She hesitated, then asked, "You... Aren't going to ask? How I'm dealing with this?" It wasn't a question, it was a statement. But he still treated it like a question. "No..." He sighed, shaking his head, his dull, blond hair blowing in the December wind. "You'll tell me when you're ready." And they kept walking.

As they arrived at the creaky old restaurant, they sat at a booth, ordering their usuals. Hinata, a cup of tea. Naruto, ramen. Hinata sipped the drink wordlessly, but Naruto didn't even bother looking at his ramen. Hinata quirked a brow. Something was bothering him. She could always tell.

"Don't worry about it," He suddenly said, holding his gaze out the window. She blinked, surprised. "Wha...?" Naruto looked in her direction, giving her a foxy grin. The grin she loved. "He loved you. Just like you loved him. Like you loved Sasuke, like you..." He hesitated, "Like you loved Kiba..." He sighed. "And just like I loved... _love_," He corrected, "Sakura." He smiled sadly. "Don't worry."

Hinata looked at him in awe. "Naruto..." She smiled slightly. "Thank you, so much."

They both trned to look outside.

"Don't mention it."

**Part 6: Finally**

They were pushing sixty now.

But they were doing it together. They were together for everything else. The deaths of their family and friends... Have all come and gone, and now, they weren't scared. Instead, they embraced death. They welcomed it. Especially Hinata. Then again, when you were diagnosed with lung cancer, what were you supposed to do? Run from it? Yeah, right.

Hinata sighed from her place on the porch bench. "Its fate..." She said wistfully, looking up into the sky, dotted with streaks of pink, yellow, and just a hint of blue.

Naruto shook his head. "You're starting to sound like Neji. No, it isn't _fate_," He spits out the word like venom, "It was those cigarettes. I told you to quit." After Hoshiko and Nazeku's births, she had started smoking. To fill the void Kiba had made, and the one Sasuke had left. She had eventually quit, around the time she was in her mid-thirties. Since the twins were in high school during that time, she didn't want to be a 'bad influence'.

"You know, eventually death _will _come. Then I'll be gone." Hinata said matter-of-fact like. Naruto sighed, and nodded, the ghost of a smile tugging on his lips. "I know, just don't be quick about it," He turned, and grabbed her hand. "I can't imagine life without you." This was so unusual. Hinata knew Naruto as her over-active idiot of a best friend. But then again, maybe age made him wise.

"What's this? Naruto, I was only kidding, I'm not leaving that quickly." She smiled a little, squeezing his hand. "I know... but, still. Would you... Could you... marry me?" Hinata blinked.

What?

"Naruto... I'd love to... but... we can't..." She was at a loss for words. Then, she nodded. "Better late than never, right? Of course, Naruto."

Naruto grinned, grinned wider than he ever did before. Even when he proposed to Sakura. Even when he held Sanato, his first son. He hugged her. "Thank you, Hinata..." She nodded, smiling slightly. "Of course," She looked up in the sky, hoping this wasn't some crazy dream.

It wasn't.

**Part 7: Together Forever**

Only four years. That's all it took for Hinata's cancer to come back, with a vengance.

"But, at least she didn't die alone," Nazeku tried to comfort his sobbing sister, "Uncle Naruto was right there beside her, ready to follow her to wherever she went." Hoshiko smiled. "I guess you're right!" She quickly wiped away the tears. "He did, didn't he?!"

Nazeku nodded, and guided his twin out of the cemetary.

Hoshiko picked up her daughter, whom she named Tsukiko, and hugged her close. Her husband was waiting for her in the car.

"Hey, Nazeku-nii," She said, looking at her twin. "Yeah?"

She hesitated. "Thank you. And you're right. They'll be together. Forever."

She smiled, and left.

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**Hope you liked it!**

**PLEASE REVIEW!**

**--AoAir**


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